Aihnss.1313
net.columbia
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!mhtsa!ihnss!karn
Tue Jan 12 11:15:35 1982
Ariane capacity
The Ariane can carry a payload slightly larger than that of an Atlas
Centaur into geostationary transfer orbit.  Its primary advantage is
its launch site (Korou, French Guiana, South America), which is only
about 5 degrees north of the equator.  This means less energy is
necessary to put the final orbit in the plane of the equator.

ESA (the European Space Agency) has come up with a device
called a "SYLDA" (don't ask me the meaning of this acronym, its in French)
for launching two satellites.  It looks like a big football that splits
apart once in orbit, so the satellite inside can be released.

AMSAT will be launching Phase-IIIB on top of one with ECS-1 riding inside
this summer; I'm not sure if this is the first use of the SYLDA or not.

Phil Karn